The practice of using insulin pumps in insulin therapy (e.g. for type 1 diabetes) has been known for some time. Insulin pump therapy makes it possible to continuously administer a (variable) basal rate of insulin and also individual boluses, which are used in conjunction with meals and to correct excessively high glucose values in the blood of the patient. As a result of continuously administering the basal rate in accordance with a user-specific basal rate profile, a more equal blood sugar level is attained and thus the organism of the patient is strained less.
Accordingly, infusion systems are known which comprise an infusion pump for insulin (insulin pump) and possibly a blood sugar measurement unit designed as a remote control. In general, the insulin pump should be designed to be as compact as possible so that it is not noticeable and the user finds it comfortable to wear. Thus, the pump comprises a small pump housing which holds a battery, a motor with drive, control and communication electronics and an ampoule fixedly connected to the infusion tube. On its outside, the pump has operating buttons and usually a display as well. This display and the size and number of operating buttons as well are limited by the aspired configuration.
Hence, only limited amounts of information can be displayed on the pump itself. Conventional displays can either output measured blood sugar values and suggested action (bolus, eat), or the menu of the insulin pump. Current insulin pump systems are designed with a fixed operating concept. While operations for a few basic functions (such as administering boluses) can be effected on the insulin pump itself, other functions can only be controlled by the remote control, i.e. the diverse operating functions of the insulin pump are mainly transferred to the remote control.
Even insulin pumps that do not have a remote control, and are thus controlled by operating elements on the pump, have a complex control as a result of the demanded miniaturization.
Hence, complete or comfortable control of current infusion systems for insulin can only be effected with the aid of a remote control. If it is not available, or if all operating elements are realized on the pump, the user has to do without some functions and/or accept more complicated operation. Due to the fact that some functions should always be implemented on the pump for safety reasons, the corresponding display and operating elements cannot be made any smaller in the context of known user interfaces and this puts a limit on the miniaturization of the insulin pumps.